The Runaway
by ScribbleNaut
Summary: One windy day, the Flock discover a small blind girl outside with amazing power and-did i mention-bird wings. The girl has escaped from the School, who are on her tail, and seeks shelter. But Max begins to get jealous...will she turn the girl in?


The Runaway

Chapter 1- The Girl

The wind was at its strongest when we discovered her. The wind was fierce and it howled and shrieked like an agitated banshee. It hammered angrily against the rattling windows, trying to get in, even ripping several planks of wood off the weak points of our small little home.

"Max...I'm scared."

I looked down and pulled Angel close to my side. She pressed her small sweet face into my chest. She was like a little sister to me.

"It's okay. It's only a little wind, it'll pass. Don't worry," I gave her an assuring smile and she smiled back. "Go on. Go play with Gassman to take your mind off things."

Angel nodded and shuffled over to Gassman who was inspecting a small pile of nails on the floor from a previous failed bomb plan. Angel poked him with a nail and they started a small war. I didn't mind. There are six of us in total including me. I looked around the room registering us all. My best friends. My allies. My family.

Iggy was lying on a battered sofa with his sightless blue eyes closed and his fingers running through his strawberry-blonde hair again and again. Gassman and Angel were stilling arguing. ("She started it!" "No he started it!" kind of thing). And Nudge the Motor- mouth was preening her glorious wings and trying to control her wild hair with countless bottles of hairspray. They didn't seem bothered by the weather. Fang, however, did. He was standing in front of a thin window studying the landscape outside.

"What's up Fang?" I asked. His dark expression was gloomy but he said nothing. Angel frowned.

"Fang thinks there is someone outside," she said accusingly, reading Fang's thoughts.

Fang lowered his eyes and hid his face. I knew he had been trying to block out his thoughts from Angel without success. He didn't turn round but stared harder out of the window.

"Why on God's Earth would there be someone outside?" Iggy muttered moodily. "It's far too dangerous. The wind sounds angry, like it's holding a grudge against us."

"Why would the wind be angry with us? What did we do? Oh no...did we steal a cloud or something!" I swear...sometimes Nudge isn't the sharpest tool in the box.

Gassman leapt to his feet and scurried hurriedly to Fang's side. He pressed his nose and hands to the window. Straining his eyes he peered through the glass. I heard him gasp.

"Max! Max! There_ is_ a person out there! There is!"

Fang folded his arms. "Told you."

"Actually, Angel did," I sighed and glanced at the door. I stood up and moved towards it. The floor creaked and Iggy's ears pricked up. He knew where I was going.

"Max, what are you thinking?" he stood up.

"I'm thinking of bringing them in. It must be treacherous out there."

"Maybe so but don't you think they would have knocked by now if they were frightened or uncomfortable? I say we leave them; they seem happy."

I knew Iggy was right so instead I went to the window to see what all the fuss was about. Nudge rapped hard on the glass. She beamed.

"She saw me! It's a girl, Max! I'm sure of it!" she cried and waved to the person on the other side.

I looked out. It certainly looked like a girl. She seemed to be swaying; her arms were moving and her hands were flowing. The girl snapped her head round and stared right at us. The wind dropped instantly. Her hands fell. The sudden change was startling. Angel's eyes widened.

"Get away from the window!" she yelped and began to push us away. We all moved... apart from Fang.

"What is she gonna d-" he began.

The girl moved her hand and in one fluent, she thrust her palm towards the window and a gale force wind smashed the window. My jaw dropped. I saw her face. She was grinning, a happy, almost twisted grin. I didn't like it. Iggy jumped with fright.

"Okay, what broke? Nudge, did you break by cooking bowl again?" he growled. "If you do that one more time I'll make Nudge Fudge for dessert!"

Glass fell to Fang's feet. He picked a shard of glass from his left forearm, ignoring the blood.

"How did she do that?" he murmured. "It's like she had control over the air..."

I rushed to the door and yanked it open. I saw dust swirl around the girl's ankles. I crept closer feeling slightly scared but trying not to show it. The girl was standing motionless, her bare toes digging into the ground. She seemed to be listening.

"I know you are there," she snapped her head up and stared at me. Her voice was rough and sharp and impatient. "Where are the others?"

The others poked their heads round the doorframe and I beckoned them closer. The girl was counting softly under her breath.

"Five...six. There are six of you."

"Well duh!" Nudge replied, flicking her wild, untamed hair. "Can't you see?"

The girl slowly raised her head. She was amazingly pale and her tar-coloured hair covered the tops of her eyes and was pulled into two lopsided bunches, as if she did them with her eyes closed. Her fringe was windswept and seemed to be stuck permanently like that. She wore a torn sleeveless t-shirt and torn green shorts. Her feet were bare and she wore a black bracelet around her right leg and a couple of green arm bands. Her face was dirty and her limbs were covered in bruises and scratches. She locked eyes with me and I froze. Her eyes were as green as grass but cloudy and rather misty. She blinked and a thousand thoughts whizzed through my mind. I knew Angel could read my mind but I wasn't bothered about that. I swallowed hard and glanced at Iggy. The girl blinked again.

She was blind.


End file.
